Banana and Walnut loaf

Almost the New Year and time to welcome in 2020!!  Many thanks to all of you who have supported me throughout this tough old year, both in person and online.  I’m all focused on having a much less emotionally charged 2020 🙂

I hope you all had a wonderful break over the holiday season.  We had a very quiet Christmas here and actually made the most of upstairs to decorate.  Himself isn’t a big Christmas fan, in fact he doesn’t like it at all, so we keep all the carols, presents and decorations at bay for him.  Then it was just a quick overnighter at family and making the most of the great weather we have been having.

Themselves enjoying the river

This week is a quicky post as themselves are waiting to watch a family DVD and I thought I’d sneak out while they clean up after tea 🙂  The recipe tonight has been taken from The Liver Cleansing Diet by Sandra Cabot and is listed in there as Banana Muffins.  As part of my bid to resolve a few health issues I have been looking for a few more body nourishing recipes and came across this one in the recipe section of Sandra Cabot’s book.

I have tried this as muffins however with the GF flour thrown in they came out a little dry.  So I decided to double the recipe and reduce the flour a bit which seems to have worked out not too bad … even himself is eating it!  It does take a while to cook through as it is quite dense but once the top browns it is there.  If you find, once you cut into the loaf, that the middle isn’t quite there then it toasts up a treat 🙂

Banana and Walnut Loaf (GF, RSF and vegan)

4 ripe large bananas

2 Tablespoons of maple syrup

4 Tablespoons of Olive oil

2 Tablespoons LSA

4 teaspoons vanilla essence

2 Cups GF flour (I use Edmonds premixed)

1 Cup of chopped walnuts

• Mash Bananas and mix with the other wet ingredients.
• Add in the walnuts and flour and mix really well to ensure there are no flour lumps
• Transfer mixture into a baking paper lined loaf tin and cover with tin foil
• Bake at 180 C for 60-70 mins, taking off the tin foil about half way through baking.
• Allow to cool before enjoying with a cuppa

Hope this finds you enjoying the last moments of the old year and enthusiastically entering the new year.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Chocolate chips cookie vegan style

After a very wet trip to Kāpiti island today it was onto baking up a storm for week two of my Infant Massage course and enjoy the warmth of the oven as soon as we got back.  I traditionally make chocolate chip cookies for our morning tea kai this week, if there are no allergies in the group that is.  However as the first batch came out of the oven and herself (the official tester of all things non-vegan) had a taste we realised that I had used dark chocolate that was a bit too dark; that is too bitter for the sweet cookies I was aiming for.

Kaka checking us out over on Kāpiti Island

So ……  I thought I would make a batch of another delicious chocolate chip cookies we have the recipe for and best of all himself and I could give them the taste test!  I found this little gem of a recipe thanks to Jordan Rondel and her post in a magazine within the NZ Herald.  I have only changed a few things from the original recipe due to my usual reasons; lack of ingredients, buslife, ease of baking and most importantly  …… pleasing all the different eating styles on this here bus. 🙂

Warm out of the oven

Aside from pre-steaming of the pumpkin for mashing, then allowing it to cool, this is a really quick and easy recipe.  Those of you with pumpkin puree on your supermarket shelves may have an even quicker time of it 🙂  With himself being refined sugar free most of the time I also replaced the regular dark chocolate with some sugar free chocolate that we can get easily. It doesn’t really change the taste and of course you can always put in your favourite kind.  One of the things I really love about this recipe though is the fact that you can eat it raw or cooked. Hope it becomes one of your healthy (well mostly healthy) favourites too.

Vegan style chocolate chip cookies

• 110gm of mashed pumpkin (I just steam some then mash)
• 250gm ground almonds
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 75 gm maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 80 gm broken up dark chocolate (I use Well Naturally so that himself can eat it)

-Mash the pumpkin and allow it to cool fully.

-Mix in all other ingredients except the chocolate.

-Add chocolate bits and mix well.

-Roll into small balls and place on a baking tray then flatten slightly with a fork (you may need to dip the fork in some GF flour to stop the sticking.

-Bake for 10-15 mins or until golden at 160C

-Enjoy!

Hope this find you warm and dry, enjoying the little comforts of life.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Ugly Muffins – now GF, DF and SF

Well … the oven is still waiting for parts?!! So we have well and truly tested out our bus oven and kitchen over the last week.  The bread baking in particular is proving easier than I thought … my only real ‘issue’ is that I have to pre-heat the gas oven to get it to the correct temperature as it doesn’t have a gas mark guide on the knob.  Those of you that know me and my baking habits will know that this is a new experience as I am forever plonking stuff in a cold oven and adjusting cooking times after that!

Warm out of the oven.

The other baking of biscuits and other snacky morsels is also going really well.  So my recipe this week is one that I made in the bus for my Infant Massage course and it went now a treat.  I have shared a version of this recipe before however since then I have modified it further so that it is gluten free. These are a super easy and a super yummy snack with no worries of over indulging – well not much :).  NB: If you do use the patty pans then let them cool fully otherwise half the muffin will be stuck to the paper – I have learnt the hard way 🙂

Ugly Muffins – GF version

• 1 finely diced apple – I leave the skin on
• 3 large bananas mashed
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Rice flour
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

– Mix everything together in a bowl

-Either grease a muffin tin or put patty pans in

-Scoop mixture into muffin tin or patty pans

-Bake at 180 C for 10-15 mins or until they are golden on the top.

-Enjoy

Hope this finds you all happy, healthy and enjoying the fruits of life.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

 

 

 

Easy Gluten Free Bread

I have tried a variety of recipes for Gluten Free Bread it has to be said …. all with varying degrees of disaster!  I am a lazy cook by nature.  It needs to be fairly basic with not much brain power required.  It needs to be quick and easy.  I need to have the ingredients in the cupboard or readily available at the local shops.  Yes … I’m sure the sour dough, gluten free bread is delicious and very edible however I am almost guaranteed to forget about feeding the starter and it is way too much thought needed by me in advance of actually getting to eat.

Fresh out of the oven!

Then low and behold a miracle occurred!!  Yes … I’m fairly easy to ‘wow’ when it comes to food.  While down at my local organic shop the other week I noticed a recipe sheet for Gluten Free Bread that seemed to tick most of my boxes.  Mix, cook and eat all on the same day. 🙂  Turns out it is also a pretty good loaf of GF bread too!

Thought I would share it here for you all to try and let me know your thoughts.  It lasts for a few days pretty well if stored in an air tight container.  I even tried freezing a few slices to toast at an even later date with success and without it all falling apart on me.  Sorry to the original recipe writer as the shop didn’t source it and then I have done my usual adaptations.

Gluten Free Bread

Makes 1 loaf

• 1 Tbsp Dried Yeast
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 2 Cups Warm Water
• 1 Cup White Rice Flour
• 1 Cup Buckwheat Flour
• 1 Cup Chickpea Flour
• 1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour
• 8 tsp chia seeds
• 8 tsp boiling water
• Sprinkle of Salt
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil

– In a large bowl whisk the water, yeast and honey and leave for 10 minutes to activate.

– Add all dry ingredients apart from chia seeds and mix well

– Mix chia seeds and boiling water then add to bread mixture with the oil.

– Mix well and pour into a lined bread tin.

– Leave to rise for 10-15 mins.  It doesn’t rise much on baking so if you want a bigger loaf then leave it to rise longer before cooking.

– Bake at 170 C for 45 minutes.

-Enjoy!!

Hope this finds you happy, healthy and enjoying some warm bread. 🙂

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

GF, DF Griddle Cakes

These are super easy and fast to make and delicious!  Herself loves making pancakes on the weekends and since they don’t really sit well with me I thought I would create my own GF and DF version.  I have to say that after playing around and trying numerous mixtures of flours these Griddle cakes are the best mix I have managed.  Basically I have swapped the flours and milks to make a basic pancake recipe gluten and dairy free so I’m sure there are a million and one other versions online if these don’t tickle your fancy.

Warm and ready for breakfast.

They are thick (the mixture is thick so the cakes are too as the mixture doesn’t run) and just the right taste to be able to use as a toast or pikelet substitute.  I also cooked these in coconut oil, something new for me I have to say, which actually made them all the better.  I have had them for breakfast with spreads, for breakfast with a poached egg and for lunch with some salad.  As with most GF things though they are best used on the day they are made however they can be made in the morning and still tasting good at lunch.  Actually, to be completely honest,  they haven’t lasted beyond lunch for me to know if they would be good after this!

Just as delicious with lunch.

Anyway … enough chat. Here is the recipe.

GF, DF Griddle Cakes (makes 12-15)

1/3 Cup Rice Flour

1/3 Cup Buckwheat Flour

1/3 Cup Coconut Flour

1 Cup Rice Milk

1 Egg

• Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until they are well blended.
• Heat a cast iron pan (griddle) and put some coconut oil in.
• Spoon in the mixture and flatten a little into a round shape.  I fitted about 3 cakes into the pan at a time.
• Cook until there are air bubbles/pockets appearing on the surface and then flip.
• Remove when they are browned on both sides.
• Enjoy!

It really is that simple.  As I said before there are probably heaps of other alternatives to these that you can find online however why not play around and get your own ‘sweet’ mixture?  They are a great, quick ‘whip up’ meal when time is short and a yummy afternoon treat with jam too if need be.

Hope this finds you enjoying life to the fullest.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

 

GF Pastry (and Pie) recipe

As a follow up from my Pie Pastry recipe of a couple of weeks ago here is a gluten free version that we have been enjoying.  I got it from Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne’s Allergy Cookbook which has been lurking in my book shelf unused until recently and is now lurking in a friend’s bookshelf after a bit of de-cluttering.

All ready to be baked.

The recipe was pretty painless and user friendly which, as you all know by now, is just my kind of recipe! I did of course make a few modifications so that it fitted with what I had on hand however I think it still turned out pretty great for a GF pastry and even the gluten gobblers amongst the family agreed.  I completely forgot to take a photo when it came out as we were all so eager to taste 🙂 …. luckily I remembered just before we ate so that you can see what it looks like baked.

Our vegetable pie ready to eat.

GF Pastry and Pie – as modified from Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne’s Allergy Cookbook

3/4 Cup Brown Rice Flour

3/4 Cup Masa de Maiz

115 gm cold diced butter

2 beaten eggs mixed with 2 Tbsp of Water.

• Mix the dry ingredients and then rub the butter in until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Using a table knife stir in the egg until the mixture comes together.
• Bring the dough together and knead lightly on a surface with rice flour.
• Put ‘ball’ of dough into a plastic bag or clingfilm and chill for 30 mins.
• Once chilled, cut in half (one half for the top and one for the bottom) and put one half back into the fridge.  Roll one half between to sheets of baking paper.  Don’t roll too thinly however ensure that it is bigger enough for you pie dish.
• Peel one sheet off and then put into the pie dish with the other sheet of baking paper on the bottom.  This helps the pastry to bake and become crisp on the bottom once the topping is in. Gently press into the pastry into shape and trim both paper and pastry around the edges.  Use any extra pastry to mend rips or holes in the base.
• Fill with your desired inner, making sure that it is cooled before doing so.
• Roll out the other half as you did the first and place on top, removing both sheets of baking paper this time.  Press edges lightly together and make ‘breathing’ holes in the top so everything stays where it is meant to.
• Bake in a hot oven (I used 220 C fanbake) until it is golden on top.
• Enjoy!!

I have made this recipe without the baking paper or pre-baking the base and it turned out fine however in using the baking paper and in another instance using the baking paper and pre-baking the base the pie was a lot firmer and easier to dish up.

Well that is it for the pastry and from me for the next couple of weeks as the family and I take some time off together without our laptops 🙂 …. hope you enjoy your GF pie as much as I did and catch you back here soon.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

GF, DF, RSF Anzac Biscuits

So the Hungry Cub blog has done it again!  Yet another yummy recipe without a hint of dairy, gluten or refined sugar in sight 🙂  Her blog is great, with loads of simple, good, healthy food so if you are into getting more recipes then I’d recommend following Hungry Cub so you can get them coming straight to your inbox 🙂

Ready to pop in the oven!

Anyway even though we are in the midst of the last of the apple harvest and busy stewing up apples along with starting Apple Cider vinegar (details and results in a few weeks) her Anzac Biscuit recipe looked so simple, yummy and healthy that I couldn’t resist making it and sharing!  You can find Hungry Cub’s  original Anzac recipe here and keep reading for my version which, only through laziness to actually check the recipe, is slightly less blended and chunkier 🙂

GF, DF, Refined Sugar Free (RSF) Anzac Biscuits

Makes 20 small biscuits

• 1/2 Cup of dates soaked for at least 3 hrs
• 3 Tbs cashew Butter (Pics is Awesome without other oil added)
• 1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds (I used a 70gm packet which was just over 1/2 cup)
• 1 Cup of desiccated coconut

-Drain dates (liquid not needed) and blend with cashew butter until smooth.

-Add other ingredients and mix until blended well

-Roll into small balls and place on a baking tray. Then flatten slightly with a fork

-Bake at 180 C for 10 mins or until golden.

-Enjoy 🙂

Hope this finds you happy, healthy and giving a thought for those who have gone before us.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

 

Summer cool down

Summer has certainly arrived in this part of NZ!  We are having sunny, hot days followed by warm evenings and the requests for ice-creams and/or ice-blocks is ongoing.  Since last week’s post encouraged us not to give up on any of our favourites I thought you may enjoy this delicious (and super healthy), slightly adapted ice-block recipe from the amazing Emma Galloway in her book My darling Lemon Thyme.

The Ice-Block Munchers!

I am loving Emma’s approach to eating which is focused on whole foods and, as a mother of children with allergies, packed with easy recipes which are 100% vegetarian and gluten free! It is so worth the money if you are keen to improve your nutrition as many of her recipes are also dairy free and sugar free.  Although there are so many great recipes to choose from in her book this one for her Chocolate Chills has been my favourite over the past few weeks.

These ice-blocks are so simple and yet so yum that you will be wanting them all Summer long to cool down. 🙂  This is my adapted version which is similar to Emma’s recipe ,you can find the original in her book My Darling Lemon Thyme., and perfect for summer parties and treats for the kids.

DF, GF, Sugar-Free Chocolate Chills.

• 1 Cup chopped raw cashews
• 1 Cup pitted dried dates
• 1/4 Cup Cacao powder
• 1 Cup coconut milk

Soak the nuts and dates in cold water for at least 6 hours in 2 separate bowls.

Drain both and save the juice from the dates.

Blend the nuts, dates, cacao and coconut milk until smooth adding the juice from the dates to sweeten if needed. They are actually pretty sweet already.

Spoon into ice-block moulds, banging on the bench a little to clear any air bubbles, and freeze.

Enjoy!!

Hope this finds you enjoying tasty (and healthy) treats wherever you are in the world.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz